Two local players have been selected to play for Team Canada at this year’s  2010 ISHIF World Amputee Hockey Championships.
Kory Lorentz of St. Clements and Vaughan MacDonald of Elmira will skate for their country at the championships, which run  April 25 to May 2 in Montreal. Both men, who play defence, helped lead Team Canada to its fourth gold medal at the 2008 championships in Boston.
They are also among 19 returnees on the 25- man roster, which is comprises leg and arm amputees. The final selection camp was held in Montreal in December.
The world championships are held every two years.
Jamie McGuire, coach of Team Canada, indicated  that in the past team selections were based on talent alone — but not this time.
“We currently have so many players in the program that can fight for a spot that character and work ethic play a really big role in the final selections,” stated McGuire.
Lorentz scored twice and added two assists to help Canada win gold at Boston, while MacDonald recorded a pair of helpers.
In this year’s “Drive for Five,” Team Canada will face national teams from  United States, Russia, Finland, Czech Republic and Latvia. The build to international championships includes a pre-worlds training camp in Kitchener-Waterloo next month.
The World Amputee Hockey Championships is the highest level of competition for amputee hockey  players, although those with the Canadian Amputee Hockey Committee (CAHC)  are hopeful that one day it will become an Olympic sport.
The sport’s governing body, the International Standing Ice Hockey Federation, was recently informed that an application to be a part of the Winter Paraylmpic Program was rejected  by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). That means it  will not be a full medal sport in Sochi, Russia  in 2014.
Despite the rejection, the CAHA intends to continue developing the sport for amputees in Canada and abroad.